A Face from the Past Part 2 12pm1pm
by Little Si
Summary: The action continues in the second action packed episode of this 6 part real time series......


The following takes place  
between 12:00pm and 1:00pm....  
  
Events occur in real time.....  
  
12pm. Los Angeles.  
  
Inside the old church where the mercenaries are basing their operations, Alex is led, bleeding, into the toilets where there are 3 cubicles up against the far wall, in foul condition. It is clear they have not been used for a while. The tiles are cracked and the taps are rusting. There is a window next to the sinks covered by a metal grate which looks old and worn. The window itself is stained and very little light can get through. Lawrence and the other mercenary cast Alex into one of the cubicles, and plasticuff him to the pipe which runs from the back of the toilet into the far wall. Lawrence gives him another kick for good measure. Alex is still groggy from his beating. His head is cut and his nose is bleeding. Lawrence tells the other man to stand guard and makes to leave. As he goes, the mercenary calls after him. He wants to know why they are keeping this man alive, he could compromise their operation. Lawrence tells him it was Dean's orders, the two have a history, but he's unsure what it entails. Whatever it is, Dean wants Alex to suffer for it.....  
  
Outside, Dean is on the phone with one of his employers, a man named Paul Mayersberg. He informs him that the terrorists have agreed to the meeting but questions whether Paul really wants to risk exposing himself like this. The terrorists are unstable and far from trustworthy. Paul tells him it's a chance he is willing to take. Those files are extremely important and he reminds Dean that his job is not to argue with him. Dean concedes but is still wary, he had questioned their original deal with the terrorists for a while now but Paul refuses to listen. His main concern is the aftermath of what happened at the warehouse, and whether CTU is close to tracking them down. Dean assures him they are not a problem and hangs up, telling Paul he will be there in 20 minutes.  
  
Dean reenters the church and orders his men to uncuff the two terrorists. He tells them they have made a wise choice and Humser points out that at this moment they are not in support of the mercenaries, they still don't trust him after Amarjit was killed. However, they are willing to see this thing through for the sake of their cause. Dean accepts this and leads them outside to the waiting Humvees, he tells them he'll be out soon. As the terrorists wait, it is clear Gutierrez is a little nervy. He tells Humser that they should try and escape, the mercenaries are playing them, they have been from the start. Agreeing to this meeting was foolish. Humser tells him he knows what he is doing and to keep calm. He knows how important this mission is and that they would be much better off with the mercenaries help in accomplishing it. Gutierrez resents the idea of outside help, especially that of American help. He accuses Humser of being soft. Humser does not like this. He assures Gutierrez he has plans for the mercenaries...  
  
Back inside, Dean enters the toilets and pushes open the door to Alex's cubicle. He tells Alex that he is going to pay for what he did and that no- one is going to help him. Alex simply spits in his face. Dean smirks, wipes it away and leaves, promising Alex that he is going to enjoy watching him die.....  
  
12:04. Counter Terrorist Unit.  
  
Ryan Chappelle is in his office at CTU, on the phone with Brad Hammond from Division, assuring him that Tony Almeida is on a tight leash, but Brad is uncomfortable. He is upset that things got this bad under Ryan's supervision in the first place. Chappelle assures him everything is under control but that when things are over he may want to consider reassigning Tony. Brad tells him not to worry about it. When this is over, Division intends to have a serious discussion with both Bauer and Almeida, about the way they've been running CTU lately. Chappelle is pleased and ends the call just as his assistant Jean informs him that President Palmer is on the line. Chappelle takes the call. Palmer informs him that he is aware of everything that has been, and is still, happening there today and that he knows agents Jack Bauer and Tony Almeida are likely to come under some intense scrutiny as a result. He reminds Chappelle that this investigation concerns national security, the people they are after have the potential to cause a lot of damage to this country, and that that should preempt any temporary lapse in procedure, especially if it could save lives. Both Almeida and Bauer have come through in the past despite coming under question from several authority figures. They get the results that are needed and right now it is imperative that they stay in place. Chappelle must try and get past any personal dislike he might have. Ryan is a little angered by this call, he assumes that Almeida called him and angrily informs the President that any deviation in protocol is unacceptable, and frankly it does not help in maintaining some kind of authority if all his agents keep running to the President every time they can't get what they want. Chappelle believes that the President's personal relationship with Bauer is blinding him somewhat from what he knows is the right thing. Palmer does not like his tone, and warns him to back off. He's not reprimanding anyone here, he is merely advising on the best course of action to take in this situation, and that is to assist Bauer in apprehending these people. Chappelle coldly apologises but tells the President that he is not in the best position to "advise on the best course of action" as he has not been fully briefed on this operation. He asks to be allowed to get back to work. The President agrees but makes it clear that going up against him could have serious repercussions. He hangs up.  
  
Palmer's new chief of staff, Wayne Palmer, has been listening carefully to the call. He believes that Chappelle had a point in that he is not fully aware of the exact details of the operation, or of Bauer's actions throughout. By calling CTU directly, David effectively aligned himself with a rogue agent who they know is directly disobeying CTU. Actions they can't even account for themselves. Now for all he knows Bauer could be completely out of line, and if he is then when his behaviour comes under scrutiny, which it eventually will, so will Palmer's administration and that could be damaging. He should have collated all the facts before he made a move. The President simply tells Wayne that he trusts Jack implicitly, and that whatever he's doing is right. Wayne can see there's no point in arguing. Just then, Palmer's secretary calls to tell him he is needed in the conference room right away. It's an emergency.....  
  
12:06  
  
Alvaro leaves the restaurant where he was eating when Bauer called and steps into a car waiting outside. The driver tells him that his crew are ready and waiting for Bauer at the address Alvaro gave him. Again, he questions whether this meeting was a good idea, but Alvaro tells him that right now he's in the dark. His brother is gone and the mercenaries are out of contact. He has to take this chance, but in the event that something goes wrong, he is confident he can handle Jack Bauer. He asks about the progress of the mission and is told that everything is on schedule. The bombing will go ahead as planned. Alvaro is pleased, he knows his brother would want them to continue regardless.....  
  
12:07  
  
Back at the warehouse, Tony is on the phone with Russell over at CTU. He tells him that Jack is attempting to set up a meeting with Alvaro in order to uncover the deal made between the terrorists and the mercenaries, as well as to try and track them down. He lets him know that Bauer has agreed to check in regularly but for now they'll have to sit tight as there was no time to establish any kind of surveillance. He's out on his own. Russell tells him he will brief Chappelle but knows he is not going to like the fact that Bauer is out of contact. Tony says he'll just have to deal with it. He asks Russell to start trying to source the military spec weapons that they found on-site. They may be able to locate whoever it was that supplied the mercenaries with these kind of firearms. The CTU forensic team also managed to get a powder residue from the plastic explosive that took out the warehouse, it is allegedly quite rare so Tony needs him to try and trace it. Russell says he will do what he can. Before he hangs up, Tony asks Russell if he's had any luck identifying the mercenaries they caught on camera. Russell informs him that so far he's gained access to several of their military records but at the moment he's getting nowhere. Dean Slater's file is also a dead end. He's having trouble getting into it as it is heavily restricted. Almeida tells him to get Chappelle to contact the Department of Defense and get them to unlock it. Just then, a convoy of vehicles arrive at the industrial estate and several men in suits step out. Tony tells Russell he has to go. As he hangs up, he approaches the men. One of them steps forward and identifies himself as Agent Hughes with the CIA. They tell Tony that they have been monitoring one of the mercenaries believed to be working under Slater's command, a Sergeant Mark Lawrence, for some time now. It is believed that he is attempting to set up his own militia, and they know he is already in possession of some high class military weaponry. However, 2 weeks ago they lost him. They were alerted this morning of CTU's investigation, when Russell attempted to access Lawrence's military records through their database. Hughes demands to know what is happening. Tony briefly gives the agent a rundown of events so far, including the mercenaries' possible dealings with the terrorist cell and the danger they may pose to national security. He finishes by telling the agent that the mercenaries now have both one of his agents, an Alex Wilford, and the two terrorists in custody. CTU is unaware of their intentions. Agent Hughes asks for a copy of everything they've collated on the mercenaries so far but Tony is insistent that the priority now is finding these people. He needs Hughes' help. He wants all their intel on where Lawrence might be right now. The agent is at first uneasy about cooperating with Tony and the rest of his agency, especially without getting anything in return, but eventually agrees to call his director. Almeida tells him to talk to Ryan Chappelle if he's worried at all about jurisdiction. He will straighten everything out, but right now, the clock is ticking if they want to find the mercenaries before they have time to go underground. Hughes leaves to call his office....  
  
12:09  
  
Jack arrives at the Sunset Motel, where Alvaro asked to meet him. He pulls up in the parking lot outside and makes his way to the second floor. Inside room 204, Alvaro's men wait impatiently for him to arrive. One of them spots him from the window and alerts the others, they ready their weapons... Jack reaches the apartment and knocks cautiously on the door, checking his surroundings. He is all too aware that Alvaro is not exactly his best friend. Since he first joined up with Gutierrez's crew he had been suspicious of him, and with his brother now gone, he is unlikely to have changed his mind. The door opens a fraction, still on the chain and one of Alvaro's men looks at Jack, clearly nervous. Just behind him and out of sight, another stands ready with his shotgun levelled at the door. The man at the door identifies himself as Raul and asks Jack if he is alone. Jack confirms he is and after a tense pause, Raul lets him in. Jack immediately notes the man with the shotgun and several others in the kitchen all with their own pistols drawn. Suddenly, Raul slams the door and pins Jack up against the wall, demanding that he place his hands above his head. Jack complies and tells Raul to calm down, who shouts for him to shut up and then takes his gun before casting him into the kitchen. Raul orders him to take a seat. Jack can see he doesn't have a choice and slowly lowers himself into a chair. The other men watch him while Raul moves over to the window and takes another glance outside. Jack asks where Alvaro is and he is told to sit tight, he will be there soon.... Another of the men takes out his phone and calls Alvaro, letting him know they have Bauer....  
  
12:11  
  
Gutierrez and Humser are in the back of one of the Humvees being driven by the mercenaries. Dean is sitting in front. Humser asks again for information as to the contents of the files he seems to want so badly but Dean is not talking. He then asks about Bauer, which makes Dean uncomfortable. He asks where he knows him from but Dean is not in the mood to talk about it. Humser backs off. As he does, Gutierrez leans forward and asks for a cellphone. Slater is at first wary of the idea but Gutierrez says he can consider it as an act of faith, both he and Humser have been compliant so far. Dean asks who he is calling and Gutierrez says it is his brother, Alvaro, if CTU is on to their organisation then he needs him to lie low. Dean agrees and passes him a phone.  
  
Still travelling, Alvaro's cell rings and he answers. It is Gutierrez. Alvaro is relieved to hear his brother's voice and asks what went wrong at the warehouse. Gutierrez explains briefly that CTU interrupted the meeting and they were forced to run. However, they are with the mercenaries now and on their way to meet with Dean's employers. Alvaro asks if their mission is still good to go and his brother confirms it is, however, the mercenaries want something first. He will call again later with the details. He then sadly informs Alvaro that Amarjit was killed. Alvaro is disturbed, even more so when he is told that the mercenaries pulled the trigger. He immediately wants to know what the hell Gutierrez is doing still with them but Gutierrez says he will have to call back. They need to play this out. Alvaro agrees to wait, but before he hangs up he wants to know how CTU knew about the meeting. It is then Gutierrez informs him that Bauer is in fact a federal agent.....  
  
12:13:44 12:13:45 12:13:46......  
  
12:17:42 12:17:43 12:17:44 12:17:45........  
  
At the Sunset motel, Jack is still being held by Raul and the others. He asks how much longer they have to wait but no-one is speaking to him. He tries a different tactic and asks them to get Alvaro on the phone, trying to explain that the mercenaries still have Gutierrez and that they may not plan on keeping him alive. Although this shakes a few of them, Raul calmly lifts his gun and tells Jack to be quiet. Just then, the silence is broken by Raul's cellphone. He heads into the other room to take it. Alvaro is on the other end. He asks for an update on Bauer and Raul tells him they still have him restrained. Alvaro tells him to stay calm as he gives him this next bit of information, and first lets him know that he has spoken to Gutierrez. He is with the mercenaries now and they are in fact working together. Raul realises this means Bauer had lied, as he claimed the mercenaries had double crossed them. It is then Alvaro tells him that Jack is working undercover with CTU. Raul is clearly pissed off, he wants to kill Bauer immediately before panicking that CTU may already be on the way. For all he knows they've been watching the place since Jack called. Alvaro calms him down somewhat and tells him carefully that he wants him to take Bauer and meet up with him at a parking garage in the valley. Raul can't understand why Alvaro would want Jack alive but he explains it is because he needs to know if their mission has been compromised at all. They've been planning today's bombing for months and if something were to go wrong now, they'd be in deep shit. He also does not want it to look like Jack is in danger, if CTU is watching, they're not going to make a move unless he appears to be in trouble. Raul still thinks this is a bad idea, he has not taken the news of Bauer's treachery well, what if CTU follows them? Alvaro simply says: "Don't let them." They need Jack alive but they must shake off his friends first. He hangs up, ensuring Raul checks Bauer for wires or any other kind of surveillance. Raul heads back into the kitchen and closes the blinds. The others ask him what is wrong but he tells them to stay quiet, whispering to one of his men to strip Bauer. Jack is clearly concerned, he asks what the hell is going on but Raul takes the shotgun and points it squarely at his chest, shutting him up.....  
  
12:19  
  
Back at the warehouse, the CTU team is preparing to leave and the chopper is starting up. As Tony heads towards it with Agent Hughes, he contacts Russell over at CTU. He tells him that the CIA have been tracking Lawrence, and although they lost him a couple of weeks ago, they believe they have a location on some of his men who've been holed up in a derelict building just outside the city for the last few days. He tells him Lawrence has been busy setting up his own militia and there's a chance these men may know his location if they've been in contact. However, the CIA have had agents watching the building and the activity there has been minimal, with no sign of Dean or the others. He gives Russell the address as he steps into the chopper and Russell tells him he will dispatch a field unit. The agents from Division catch up with Tony as he prepares to take-off and insist that Chappelle ordered them to watch him every step of the way. They want his current mission profile before he goes anywhere as they've been kept in the dark since they got there. Tony, frustrated, tells them that right now he is trying to keep his people, along with the millions of innocents in the city, out of danger, and he doesn't have time to babysit them. He tells them they are welcome to follow from the road, Chappelle will give them the address. Before they can argue, he slams the door in their face and the chopper lifts off. Tony gets back onto the phone with Russell and asks if Jack has been in contact, Russell tells him he hasn't. Tony is concerned but there's not much he can do. He is about to hang up, when Chappelle marches over to Russell's desk and demands to speak to him. Russell hands over the phone and Chappelle tells Tony that he just got off the phone with Hughes' director over at the CIA. He wants to know whose toes Tony has stepped on this time. The mission has already been blown out of proportion and now they are stepping into the middle of a long running investigation by the central intelligence agency. Tony tells him that none of that matters right now and that all he needs to do is ensure the director cooperates. Chappelle makes it clear that although they have his consent to continue with their operation he made it clear that he doesn't want them jeopardising his own in the process. Tony assures him he can handle it but Chappelle is already in trouble with Division for what he has let Tony get away with so far, if they mess up a CIA operation they'll all be in for it. Tony tells him that the best he can do right now is let him do his job, unless he wants things to get worse. Chappelle lets him go but finishes by saying he will be monitoring his activities in the field closely, he is not far from losing his job. Chappelle hangs up...  
  
12:21. Washington D.C.  
  
President Palmer is accompanied by his brother, Wayne, into the main conference room where there are several military personnel already present, as well as cabinet members listening in through a live video feed. Palmer tells them all to be seated and General Bowden takes his position at the head of the table in front of the video monitor. He is obviously worried about something, and whatever it is he is not looking forward to breaking it to the President. Palmer asks him what is going on and the general begins the brief. He starts by highlighting the large amount of agents they currently have working around the world in deep cover operations designed to hinder their enemies, and relay reconnaissance information back to the government. This ranges from agents in place with several paramilitary groups based around the US, to operatives abroad and in the middle-east, who have managed to rise significantly in the ranks of enemy governments. Many of these people have been working undercover for years to get where they are now and are responsible for providing a lot of sensitive intelligence to the US which has helped them avert impending threats to national security, and keep their enemies, both foreign and domestic, at bay. On the monitor behind the General is a map of the globe, with marks scattered across it showing the men and women currently active in such positions. The General is keen to enforce that the identities of these agents is highly classified and only accessible to a few key staffers. Their database at Langley, Virginia, currently holds the names and aliases of over 200 such agents, information which is highly encrypted. Needless to say this intel would be highly valued by enemies of the US and many people would be willing to pay a lot of money to get their hands on those files. If they got out into the open, a lot of American lives would be in jeopardy. Despite this though, the US government were confident that this would never happen. However, a month ago, they had a major security breach. A high level intelligence analyst working in Langley downloaded the encrypted files to disk and managed to slip past security. The President is immediately disturbed to hear that one of their own people was capable of doing this, especially one in such a highly classified position, and that he was able to get past security with apparent ease. The General stresses that a series of extensive background checks are routinely carried out on members of staff who are likely to be handling such data long before they are given the job, if this man had shown any signs of being a potential threat before he was recruited, he would never have been allowed access to the files in the first place. He had checked out clean. Palmer is skeptical, making it clear that these checks are obviously not enough if they grant such people access to one of the world's most secure locations. This has really annoyed him. The General asks if he can continue. "Go on." Bowden brings up on the screen a personnel file of the man who smuggled the information. He had had several years of experience working for the CIA and no criminal record. Although, the government has since uncovered a secret bank account in his name with a history of several large deposits being made long before the files were stolen. For all they know, he had been trading secure information to the other side for years. A week after he disappeared in Langley, the CIA tracked him down to Colombia where it appeared he would pass on the information to a third party. Palmer stops him at this point, demanding to know why he and the rest of the cabinet were not alerted earlier to this crisis. The General admits that the theft was a huge embarrassment for everyone, the CIA were keen to retrieve the missing data on their own in order to keep it low key that such information was exposed, both from our enemies and other agencies. They were also aware that these files were still encrypted and believed they could intercept them before they were passed on and decoded. The President is still unhappy but tells Bowden to continue. He tells Palmer that while the analyst was travelling in Colombia, his transport was hijacked by a rebel group in the area, looking for American hostages. Their forces were alerted and there was a firefight. It was initially thought that during this, the analyst was killed and the files were destroyed. They could rest easy. However, yesterday, the Colombian government raided a deserted rebel camp in the mountains where they found the analyst's body. He had been dead for less than 24 hours and they now believe the rebel group are in possession of the files. At this moment it is unclear whether or not they are aware of what the data contains, but, even if they are, it is unlikely they could decrypt this information. Even so, tracking them down is still a priority before they can sell the intel on. Palmer asks if they have any indication as to the groups current location. Bowden informs him that the rebel leader, a man named Gutierrez, was spotted in Los Angeles less than a week ago. They believe that he has the files with him now, as he has many supporters already in the city. The man is a known arms dealer and definitely has the connections to smuggle this data in and out of the country without being seen. Plus, they've established links between Gutierrez and a highly dangerous terrorist cell which has recently begun operating. This cell is already responsible for a series of suicide bomb attacks and a lot of the agents in those files inhabit their home country. Palmer sits back and tries to take in all this information. Bowden nervously admits that his people have no idea where Gutierrez is now. Many members of the government are already keen to pull their undercover agents out of play before they are exposed. The President asks for a conference call to be set up right away with the CIA. He wants everything they have collected so far and he is also keen to discuss with them the issue of how they let such a security breach take place. He is not happy. The General goes to arrange it......  
  
12:23  
  
Meanwhile, at the Sunset Motel, Raul and his men have just finished checking Bauer's clothes for any wires or listening devices. Having found nothing, Raul orders Jack to get dressed, and then smashes his cellphone with the butt of his gun! Jack is aware that his cover may have been broken but still tries to act dumb. He demands to know what Raul is doing but the man does not want to speak to him. Something has him spooked. The others have also become increasingly concerned by his behaviour as he is simply not talking. Raul's phone rings and a voice on the other end says they are ready to go. He gives them the all clear and tells his men to take Jack out the back to a waiting SUV. As they do so, he peeks through the blinds and out of the window, checking the street and surrounding buildings for anyone who might be watching. His friends, all residents of the motel, have set up a perimeter around the area to check for surveillance. More of them arrive as Raul leaves out the back to catch up with his men. They make their way down the fire exit at the back of the building and reach street level, forcing Jack towards an SUV parked on the corner. The man watching him is hiding his gun in his jacket pocket as Raul instructed, so any of his colleagues who may be watching will not think he's in danger. Raul catches up to them as they bundle Jack into the back of the car and climb in. At the other end of the street, one of Raul's men clears them and they drive off. In the passenger seat of the speeding vehicle, he gets another call from his people back at the motel who confirm that he does not appear to be being followed. They have one of their own on his tail at a distance to ensure this stays the case. Raul is pleased and gives the driver the address of the parking garage Alvaro wanted to meet in. Jack realises all he can do now is sit this one out...  
  
Inside the old church, Alex, who is still a little disorientated, tries to take stock of his surroundings. He is locked in the cubicle, hands fastened behind the pipe by the plasticuffs, with a lone guard outside. He slowly tries to see if there's any way the pipe can be dislodged or moved, but it holds steady. Alex lifts his head off the floor and looks around, it hurts to move it but he continues regardless. All he can see around him is the filthy walls of the toilet cubicle. Just then, the guard outside starts talking to him. He points out that Dean is clearly real unhappy with whatever it was Alex did to him, and he's got a lot of suffering ahead of him. If he thinks he's gonna get a quick death, he should think again. Apparently, the guard says Dean is an expert in torture methods, that he is capable of keeping men alive for hours on end while ensuring they suffer an incredible amount of pain in that time. He's watched him do it. The guard asks Alex if he is scared, but Alex keeps his mouth shut. The mercenary chuckles to himself and finishes the can of soda he is drinking. He moves into the cubicle next to Alex's and starts to take a piss, casting the can to the floor....  
  
12:25  
  
Dean leads his men, along with Gutierrez and Humser, into the offices of Paul Mayersberg. Paul looks up as they enter, carefully eyeing the terrorists, he is fully aware of what Dean said on the phone earlier. Two bodyguards stand behind him. This is the first time the men have met in person. Paul thanks them for agreeing to the meeting. Humser immediately begins asking questions, their original deal was to allow the mercenaries access to their smuggling routes in and out of the country, as well as free use of Gutierrez's contacts here and in Colombia, in exchange for arms and manpower when requested. However, Paul has now killed one of his men, a personal friend, and expects the terrorists to do his bidding without question. It appears he has jeopardised that alliance. Paul makes it clear that he still has every intention of helping them to take out the hospital but first he must have the files. Humser is unsure of Paul's intentions, he is American, surely he could not support the deaths of innocent citizens. Paul says he is keen for the government to recognise 'their' power, and see 'their' cause as a credible one. Gutierrez asks: "Who's cause?" This is his operation, no-one else's. Paul agrees, but the government will not be able to ignore that the people he works for, played a major part in what happened. That will go a long way in getting his employers what they want. Credibility. Once they have that, the US will be forced to listen to their concerns. This is the first time Humser and Gutierrez have heard of any kind of third party, they thought Paul was working for himself. They ask what he is getting out of it, to which he replies: "Money." He is merely a representative for someone else.  
  
Humser pauses before asking what the files contain. Paul merely responds by reminding them that the attack happens in just over 3 and a half hours, he can ensure it does not go forward if they force his hand. Gutierrez does not like being manipulated like this and insists that until they know what is in the files no deal will take place. Paul says he is willing to pay for it and offers them the sum of a million dollars for the files once they've been delivered. That, on top of the bombing, should be adequate payment. Their original deal would still stand. They can help each other. Gutierrez tells him to forget it but Humser shouts for him to be quiet and let him handle this. Paul looks intensely at the two terrorists, anxious for a decision to be made. Humser finally agrees, much to Gutierrez's protest, and Dean is forced to escort him from the room. Humser wants the swap to take place under his terms but Paul scoffs at the idea. The terrorist reminds him that he has been more than trusting so far, if he wants the files without even telling them what's in them, then he should at least give him some control over the deal. Paul concedes, provided the location is his choice. The two men shake hands and the mercenaries lead Humser away. Dean reenters and Paul tells him to watch the terrorists carefully. Dean nods and leaves as Paul goes to call his employers. He speaks to them in Arabic, and tells them the deal is on..... Outside, Dean and his men lead the terrorists downstairs to the Humvees as Gutierrez whispers to Humser that he is making a big mistake, he has no idea what he is doing. He is betraying the cause if he alligns himself yet again with the mercenaries. Humser insists he is in fact helping the cause, and that he knows full well what he is doing.......  
  
12:27:25 12:27:26 12:27:27.......  
  
12:31:02 12:31:03 12:31:04 12:31:05......  
  
Inside the travelling Humvees, Dean asks Humser what he needs to do in order to arrange the hand-off of the files, he requests a phone and Dean passes one to him. Humser then looks to Gutierrez. He tells him to call his brother and tell him to fetch the files and meet them at.... "No!" Gutierrez looks Humser coldly in the eyes. Dean is ready to draw his gun. Humser tells Gutierrez that he is giving him a direct order, but it is to no avail. Dean pulls his gun and presses it into Gutierrez's temple. He smiles: "You pull that trigger you'll never get the files. How d'you think your employers will react to that?" Slater knows he is right, and asks what he wants. Gutierrez tells him to lower the gun first. Dean has no choice and is forced to comply. Humser tries to talk to his partner but Gutierrez tells him to shut up. He'll call his brother and arrange for the files to be delivered, but first he wants to know what is in them. Both he and Humser look to Dean. Slater tells Humser to talk to Gutierrez and get him to back down but Humser is just as keen to hear what the data contains and decides to take his partner's side. Dean finally gives in: he tells the two terrorists that the files contain a complete list of every US agent currently working undercover both here and abroad. It holds their full names, aliases, addresses, mission profiles, everything. The men are speechless. Gutierrez asks to know how this information came to be in Colombia, but Dean insists there is no time for an explanation, he needs to call Alvaro right now.....  
  
12:32  
  
Alvaro arrives at the parking garage where he had arranged to meet Raul and the driver pulls up on the 5th level. As the car comes to a halt, Alvaro's phone rings, it is his brother calling. Gutierrez tells him he has just met with Dean's employers and before the hospital bombing can go ahead, they need the files his people acquired in Colombia two weeks ago. Alvaro is incredulous, those files were encoded, what use could they possibly be? Gutierrez tells him he will have to explain later, right now he needs to collect the files and meet him at the freight office of an industrial dockyard in the north of the city. Alvaro is keen to know why his brother is even making a deal with the mercenaries but Gutierrez assures him that nothing is changing, the bombing will still go ahead. Alvaro is a little unwilling to do this without first knowing what is going on, he still hasn't been given the full details of everything that happened that morning. Gutierrez says that time is a factor and forces his brother to do as he says, he is not letting the mercenaries manipulate him and at the end of this they will have everything they want. Alvaro takes this into account and agrees to do as he is asked, he ends the call. Gutierrez informs Dean that the meeting is going ahead.....  
  
At the old church, Lawrence makes his way out the back and places a call to a David Breeson, the second in command of his militia. The man is standing in a dilapidated old building, with several others moving around him, all armed with automatic weapons. Lawrence updates him by saying that the deal is now going ahead and the swap for the files is set to go down in just over an hour. He needs to know if the attack is ready to go. David confirms that the bomb has been prepared, ready to move on his order. Lawrence is pleased and says he will call back with any new information. Before he goes, he asks to know what they have on Gutierrez's people. David says they were watching his contacts as requested but one of them, a man named Raul, disappeared about 40 minutes ago, this was after he was contacted by someone they think was Gutierrez's brother, Alvaro. Some of his men have just finished checking out a motel they believed he was staying in, but the place was empty. Lawrence urges him to find Raul, they need to be on top of Gutierrez's people once they go to pick up the files. David is certain it will be taken care of. Lawrence hangs up...  
  
About two blocks away from the derelict building currently in use by Lawrence's militia, Tony's chopper lands and he is greeted by Steve Goodrich, who is heading up the field team on-site, as well as the CIA agents who have been watching the place. They believe there are 9 or more people inside scattered across the 4 rooms that make up the ground floor. There's still no sign of Lawrence or Dean. However, more men have arrived since Tony took off. Tony tells Goodrich to get his men ready to go in....  
  
12:34  
  
Raul's SUV pulls into the parking garage and heads up to the 5th level. Jack asks if they are meeting Alvaro here but no-one answers. At that point, Gutierrez's brother calls to check Raul's progress, he tells him they are on their way up. The car arrives at the 5th level and pulls up alongside Alvaro's car, he gets out. Raul jumps out of the passenger side and pulls Jack from the backseat, forcing him towards the man. Jack barely has time to utter his name before Alvaro punches him full force in the face, sending him sprawling back towards Raul, who forces him onto his knees. The other men watch as Jack does as he is told and puts his hands behind his head, interlocking his fingers. Alvaro circles him menacingly, obviously finding it harder to contain his anger now he and Bauer are face to face. He says Jack has betrayed both him and his brother, and is lucky to be still breathing. The others finally buck up their courage and demand to know what the hell is going on. Raul tells them that Jack works for CTU, news they don't take too kindly to. They want Jack dead, but Alvaro keeps them back. First they must find out what he knows. He turns to Raul and tells him he has received new information from his brother. He orders him to take the men and head over to Diaz's place, where he must collect the files. They will then meet with Gutierrez who will give them further instructions. Raul wants to know what this is about: "Just do it. I'll call you when I'm done here." Alvaro will handle Jack, he just needs one of Raul's people to stay behind. Raul pauses for a moment and then agrees. He tells his men to get back into the vehicle and then climbs in after them, leaving one man as instructed behind. Raul gives Alvaro one last look and then drives off.  
  
Once they've gone, Alvaro shifts his attention back to Jack, the driver backing him up, along with Raul's man who readies his shotgun. Alvaro demands to know what information CTU has already gathered, he knows Bauer lied about the mercenaries, his brother has already called, they are working together. This takes Jack by surprise and Alvaro asks him again what he knows but Jack insists he has no idea what he is talking about. Alvaro is frustrated by this, and shouts for him to stop playing games, Dean told them the truth. Jack simply says it was a lie, he is manipulating them. The driver believes this is a waste of time and is keen to waste Bauer, but Alvaro responds by saying he has been in the dark since this morning, he has to know what CTU knows if he wants the upper hand. They have the potential to bring this whole operation to its knees. He lets Jack know that he can make him die in a lot of pain, and again repeats the question. Jack, desperate to buy some time, tells him that whatever he thinks the mercenaries are doing, he is wrong. Dean is playing them, he can guarantee it. Alvaro laughs, does Bauer really think he and his brother are that stupid? Gutierrez would not have told him to go along with this if he wasn't sure he could handle it. Jack tells him to lie to himself all he wants, but he knows Dean, and he will screw them over. Alvaro is clearly not about to believe him after his betrayal, he'd have to be a fool. Jack tells him that if he ignored his warning then he would be the fool. Dean is not about to cooperate with a foreign terrorist group, whatever deal they may have made. However, he can help them. He worked with Dean for years and knows how he thinks. If they let him in on this then he can help tip the situation in their favour. The man with the shotgun tells Jack to keep quiet and Alvaro in turn warns him off. The driver tells Gutierrez's brother that right now all they should worry about is the files and this meeting, he can't let Bauer betray him a second time, he should waste him now and forget what he knows. Alvaro pauses and the driver, impatient, goes for Alvaro's gun, saying that he will do it instead. The two struggle for the weapon and, in the confusion, Jack leaps to his feet, punching the man with the shotgun and taking his weapon. He spins as the driver and Alvaro break apart, pulling the trigger. The driver goes down, hit by the shotgun round, and Alvaro is hit in the arm. He opens fire as Jack rolls behind his car. Alvaro continues to loose off shots, making a dash for the exit. Jack fires after him and narrowly misses as he ducks behind a pillar, clutching his wounded arm. Just then, the man who had the shotgun recovers from the punch and goes for his back-up weapon, a pistol tucked into his waistband. Before he can produce it, Jack kills him and Alvaro makes a run for it. Jack heads off in pursuit, shouting for Alvaro to give himself up. He doesn't listen and again turns to fire, forcing Jack back behind cover. In desperation, Alvaro leaps over the balcony, landing on the roof of a van parked outside on the next level. He rolls off and inadvertently steps into the path of a car just entering the structure. It hits him full force, cracking the windshield, and Alvaro is thrown to the ground, as the driver screeches to a halt. Jack reaches the edge of the balcony in time to see Alvaro's bloody form slip into unconsciousness... "Dammit!"  
  
12:37:54 12:37:55 12:37:56......  
  
12:42:08 12:42:09 12:42:10 12:42:11.......  
  
Inside the old church, Hunt is getting restless, he's concerned that the terrorists will try to double-cross them. However, Lawrence reminds him that his people have been watching Gutierrez's friends closely, as soon as they collect the files, they will intercept them. This doesn't seem to console Hunt, who is aware that Lawrence's militia lost the men they were tracking, men they know have been taking orders directly from Gutierrez's brother. Lawrence is confident that they will be found again. Before Hunt can argue, Lawrence's phone rings. It is Dean, who confirms that they are on schedule. Lawrence tells him his men are ready. Slater then asks for an update on Alex. The sergeant assures him that he has been restrained. Dean pauses for a moment, and then asks Lawrence to continue with Alex's torture, he cannot stand the thought of that man still breathing comfortably, not after what he did to him. Lawrence questions again why they don't simply kill him, as he can only be a hindrance to this operation, but Dean emphasises what he had previously told him, he wants this man to suffer before he goes. Lawrence hangs up and tells two of the mercenaries to go and get Alex....  
  
Inside the toilet cubicle, Alex tries to focus once more, a plan formulating in his head. He concentrates on the movement of the guard outside, then, slowly, lifts his still cuffed hands off the floor and starts to reach for the can dropped by the guard earlier. There is a gap under the dividing wall between the cubicles, just big enough for his hands to fit under. He tries to shift position slightly in order to extend his reach somewhat, but at the same time not wanting to alert the guard. His muscles ache from his beating but he is determined to continue. His hands creep across the floor, the pipe he is cuffed to blocking his movement. Alex attempts to shift even further towards the can, only needing to make up another few centimetres before he can grab it. The toilet is really getting in his way but Alex knows he can do this. His fingers stretch, as do his hands and arms, desperate to make up the distance...Alex hears movement outside in the corridor, more mercenaries heading his way. Are they coming for him? He had to hurry...Finally, his fingers hit the cold aluminium surface, he manages to slip one inside the top of the can and, just as the mercenaries burst into the room, pull it back towards him and obscure it underneath the same pipe he is cuffed to. No sooner as he done this, than the guard enters and uncuffs him, dragging him to his feet. "Ready for another round?" He gloats. Alex resigns himself to his fate as the men carry him through to the back room, willing himself to hold on just a little longer.....  
  
12:43  
  
Back at the parking garage, Jack watches intently as paramedics attend to Alvaro's motionless body. His breathing is shallow and the medics believe he has suffered serious internal bleeding. If they don't get him to a hospital now he could die. Jack is not happy, he needed this man to talk. He tells the medics to do whatever they have to to keep Alvaro alive and takes out his phone....  
  
Counter Terrorist Unit.  
  
Michelle makes her way over to Russell's station and gives him another code to try, in an effort to access Slater's military records. She claims that the Department of Defence are not very willing to cooperate at this stage and appear to be brushing her off. She's got Division handling it now. At the same time, she asks how Tony is doing out in the field. Russell tells her he is about to go in and arrest the militia. Just then, Russell's phone rings and he puts it on speaker. It is Jack. Russell is concerned as they haven't heard from him since he left the warehouse, and Jack updates him on everything that has happened so far. He lets them know that Alvaro is critical and that the medics aren't sure he'll make it. However, there's something even more disturbing that they need to know. He can confirm that the mercenaries and the terrorists are in fact working together. Alvaro was in contact with his brother recently and they've made some kind of deal with Slater. At the moment it is unclear as to what this is, or why Dean took the men hostage back at the estate in the first place. At that point, Chappelle comes down from his office to speak to Michelle and is alerted to Bauer's call. He listens in. Jack continues by saying that he may have a few leads they can work up. He gives Russell the licence plate and model of the car Raul left in, telling him to put out an APB immediately. He also needs to ensure that no-one goes near that vehicle until they are accompanied by a CTU team. As well as this, Jack gives them the name Diaz which he overhead Alvaro mentioning. He believes this is where Raul and his men were headed, and needs Russell to cross-check it with everything they've collated so far on the terrorist's to see what they can find. Whoever this person is, they are important somehow to whatever deal has been made with the mercenaries. He gives them the name of a file they can access in his directory, which should provide a list of Gutierrez's contacts in Los Angeles that he and Tony have compiled over the last year or so. Michelle says they will take care of it. Jack then tells them that he may have a way to track down Gutierrez. He has recovered Alvaro's cell and reads out the last number to call it in the last half an hour. He wants a passive triangulation to be put on to that number ASAP as it may give them the terrorist's location. Russell estimates that that will take at least 10 or 15 minutes to complete and calls one of their technicians to set up the necessary equipment.  
Chappelle meanwhile, is angry with Jack for keeping him out of the loop, he could have jeopardised this entire operation. Jack, clearly not in the mood for any bureaucratic squabbling today, tells Chappelle to back off. They need to track these people down and right now he is not helping matters. Ryan accuses Jack of being out of control and tells him that when he comes back he will have a lot of questions to answer, both from him, and division. Michelle intervenes and tells Jack that they will call as soon as they have any more information. He asks her how they are doing with their search for Alex and she admits that they are no closer to finding him. Although, Tony is following up on a lead regarding one of the mercenaries which might help them. Jack asks her to update him with anything new. She agrees and Jack ends the call as Alvaro is loaded into the back of an ambulance by the medics....  
  
12:45. Washington DC.  
  
The President returns to his office from the conference room with Wayne, and sits down. He is still a little shaken up by the scale of what he has just been told. What was allowed to happen in Virginia was completely unacceptable, it was bad enough that one of their people was dirty, but even worse that they managed to secrete classified information out of one of the most secure buildings in the country. Wayne lets him know that the CIA are drawing up a full report on the incident for him to review as requested. Palmer also wants to set up a special sub-committee in order to further investigate how this occurred. Wayne agrees with this, but reminds him that right now all their attention must be focused on finding these files. The President agrees and asks for a rundown on the leads they have gathered so far. He is told that just under an hour ago, two of Gutierrez's key people were arrested at a hotel in Mexico by the federales, they are being questioned now. It has also been discovered that his brother, Alvaro, is in LA as well, and that the two have been in contact recently. Palmer asks about the terrorist cell that Gutierrez has been connected to but so far they have nothing new. Wayne's cell rings and he answers it. Palmer listens as he talks. Whatever Wayne is told obviously disturbs him. He hangs up hastily, asking for an update as soon as the person on the other end can provide one. It was General Bowden. They just found out that, according to the men who were arrested, Gutierrez was working with the terrorists to plan some kind of attack supposed to take place in Los Angeles today. The men are still being interrogated but they claim that they know nothing more as to the nature of this attack, Gutierrez would only discuss it with his brother. Palmer wants a search put out on Alvaro immediately...  
  
12:46  
  
David Breeson asks one of the militia for an update. So far they have nothing new on Raul but a contact has just informed them that Alvaro was taken to a local hospital a few minutes ago having been hit by a car. Breeson orders him to stay on it and checks with the others that they are ready to go, the explosives are being loaded onto the trucks now..... Outside, Tony confirms with Goodrich that they are ready to move, before being told by the surveillance team that it appears the militia are getting ready to leave. They have to go now. Tony gives the order to go in..... Back inside, Breeson readies his weapon and starts telling his men to clear out. As the last word leaves his mouth, a SWAT team member accidentally knocks an unseen trip-wire running around the perimeter of the building, inadvertently triggering a silent alarm inside. The militia begin to panic as Breeson shouts for them to take up defensive positions and to destroy all of their files in case they are caught. They set to work erasing any data on the computers as men take up positions by the windows. Goodrich and his men close in as one of the windows smashes, and the barrel of an AK-47 assault rifle protrudes through. Goodrich shouts for his men to hit the deck as the militia open fire. The men by the trucks make to head back inside but are taken out by CTU snipers. Tony shouts into the radio, asking Goodrich what's happening. They've been spotted... The CTU teams return fire, killing the man at the window as more begin to lay down covering fire. Inside, it is chaos. Breeson is told by one of the militia that they are surrounded, just as the door of the building is blown inwards, taking out two of the men as they pass. Seconds later, a series of flashbangs are cast inside and Breeson goes for cover. The flashbangs detonate, stunning the surrounding militia, who are taken down by Goodrich and his team as they storm the building. Tony leads a back-up team towards it.... Breeson is refusing to give in. Now pinned down by CTU, he and two others make a stand in the back, using old furniture as cover and spraying the walls with gunfire. Goodrich is forced to pull back from the room as Tony makes his way inside. He joins Goodrich who notifies him that they have three men holed up in the last room. He is taking care of it now. As he says this, one of the field team comes in over the radio, telling him they are ready to go, he gives the order.... Back in the room, Breeson is preparing a couple of grenades when the wall behind him is ripped to shreds by a huge explosion, showering him with shrapnel and knocking him to the ground. Two of the field team enter through the gaping hole, shortly before Goodrich storms the room. Breeson's men manage to gather their strength and attempt to shoot their assailants, but it is to no avail, they are both struck dead by Goodrich who returns fire. Breeson, who is badly injured by a piece of shrapnel lodged in his leg, tries to crawl towards his gun, but CTU stop him and drag him from the building. He curses them as he goes. Tony orders the men to keep him secured, as they need to find out what he knows. He also radios the teams waiting outside and tells them to send in forensics. It is then he is told that they found a large amount of explosives in the trucks outside..... As Breeson is carried away screaming, Goodrich ensures the area is secure. The agents from Division look on, clearly concerned.......  
  
12:48:29 12:48:30 12:48:31.....  
  
12:52:26 12:52:27 12:52:28 12:52:29......  
  
As medics attend to Breeson's leg, who has just been sedated, Tony makes a call to Russell over at CTU. He tells him they just raided the militia's safehouse and have their leader in custody now. However, he hasn't been able to talk to him yet as he is badly injured and they have to wait until he's been treated. In the meantime, Tony alerts Russell to a series of encoded computer files he is sending over to him now. They were seized during the raid, but a lot of it has been erased. He wants Russell to get them decrypted as soon as he can, even if it means assigning more people from IT. It now also seems as if these men were definitely part of Slater's group. They found a large amount of explosives on-site as well as surveillance pictures of some of Gutierrez's contacts. It appears they've been watching them for some reason. Tony asks if they've heard from Jack and Russell says they have. Alvaro was injured shortly after he tried to kill him. Jack also gave them the specs of a vehicle that may lead to Alvaro's people, as well as a phone number which could be connected to Gutierrez, they'll have a location on it soon. Tony is a little confused as to how Gutierrez made contact with his brother until Russell explains that the terrorists are working with the mercenaries. This surprises Tony. He ends the call as the medics tell him that Breeson will be a little groggy for the next few minutes due to the painkillers they gave him. He'll have to wait a while before he can talk to him.......  
  
12:53  
  
In the back room of the church, Lawrence is busy inserting a syringe into Alex's neck. He begins to wince in pain. The surrounding mercenaries laugh at him as he starts to writhe around violently in the chair he is tied to. He tries to hold back his cries, not wanting to show the men the extent of his suffering. Instead he simply groans, determined to endure this. Lawrence admits he is tough, but assures him that this isn't going to stop any time soon, he's going to suffer for a long time. Alex simply glares at him intensely as Lawrence prepares another dose. He makes to insert the syringe once more but his phone rings, stopping him.  
It is Dean, who asks Lawrence to start making preparations for the exchange. He wants shooters in place, as well as back up units ready to assist at any time. Lawrence says it will be done. Slater asks for the progress of his militia in catching up with Gutierrez's men and the sergeant claims that they were getting close last time he spoke to Breeson. They're most promising lead so far is a drug trafficker known as Diaz. He plays a major part in Gutierrez's activities and they have people watching his place now. Dean is pleased. Lawrence asks what he should do with Alex and Slater tells him to leave it for now, let him build his strength, he will deal with him properly once this is all over. The sergeant is keen to know when their payment will be delivered, and is told that they will receive their money in full upon the delivery of the files. All that will be left then is taking out the hospital, before they finally leave the country. Lawrence questions whether Paul can be trusted to deliver once he has what he wants, but Dean is confident, having worked with the man before. He is true to his word. This satisfies Lawrence, who hangs up and orders his men to take Alex back. The mercenaries step forward, release him from the chair, and drag him back through to the toilets. Lawrence goes to fetch Hunt and begins to give him Dean's orders.... In the toilets, Alex is cast back into the grotty cubicle and cuffed once more to the pipe. The men watch his weakened form for a moment, then leave, assigning the guard to keep an eye on him. As soon as they are out of the room, Alex checks that the cubicle door has been closed and retrieves the can from under the pipe. He starts to tear it......  
  
12:55  
  
Jack is still over at the parking garage, assisting the CTU teams with the clear-up. Raul's man and the driver are loaded into body-bags and carried away, whilst forensics go through Alvaro's car. They have found nothing yet. Jack orders one of the CTU personnel to pull all the footage off of the parking lot surveillance cameras to try and establish Alvaro's activities before he arrived. The agent claims they already tried, the surveillance system was shut down 30 minutes ago. Jack can't admit this surprises him. The agent heads off as Jack's cell rings. It's Russell. He believes they have identified Diaz, they found the name of a man who they know has already been in contact with Gutierrez over the last few months. The two have had dealings regularly in the past. According to his file, Diaz used to be responsible for smuggling drugs across the border, and is now believed to control a large part of Alvaro and Gutierrez's operation. He gives Jack the man's last known address and says he will send back-up. As requested, he put out an APB on the vehicle but as of yet no-one has spotted it. Jack asks how he's getting on with the triangulation and he is told that they should have pinged a location in a few minutes. Jack thanks him and hangs up. Having rearmed himself, Jack climbs into one of the parked CTU vehicles and heads for Diaz's address.....  
  
12:56  
  
Raul and his men arrive outside Diaz's place. They pull up and make their way inside the rather rich-looking apartment block. Raul checks the area suspiciously as he heads for the entrance. Unseen to the men, two of the militia are watching them from across the street. One of the soldiers checks a photo they have of Raul and confirms it is him. He orders his partner to call Breeson but for some reason he can't get through.... Inside, Raul reaches the third floor and knocks on the door of one of the apartments. Diaz watches him through a surveillance monitor, hooked up to a camera hidden in the corridor. He lets the men in, suspicious of their being here. He asks what they want and Raul tells him they need the files. Diaz is suspicious of this, Gutierrez told him to get rid of them as they were useless. Someone has already made a substantial offer. Raul informs him that the plan has changed, Gutierrez needs them now and Alvaro sent them directly. Diaz asks to speak to him and Raul takes out his phone... Back outside, an LAPD patrol car is making it's way past. One of the officers clocks Raul's SUV and radios his controller to get a check on the vehicle they put out an APB on earlier. He tells his partner to pull over while they wait.... Diaz waits in the apartment for Alvaro to answer the phone. Nothing. He hangs up impatiently and tells Raul there was no answer. He can see this concerns the man and asks what's wrong. Raul doesn't seem to want to answer. The others are also worried. Diaz shouts the question again, urging them to tell him what's been going on. Finally, Raul admits that they recently found out Bauer was a federal agent, he was with Alvaro when they left. It doesn't take long for Diaz to put two and two together and he is immediately angry with Raul for coming here. If Jack escaped, the government may be on to him now too. He wants Raul to leave. As they argue, one of the men calls them over to the window. He has spotted the LAPD squad car parked up outside. Diaz snaps, adamant that they must be here because of Raul, he wants to leave, refusing to cooperate with the men. Raul grabs him and pulls his gun, telling Diaz to give him the files right now.... Meanwhile, the police officer listens as his controller gives him the details of the car they were told to look out for. It matches the vehicle parked up across the street. The officer gives his controller the address of the apartment block and makes to get out of the car. Before he can, he is told over the radio that CTU gave clear orders not to make a move without them present. The officer dismisses it as more jurisdictional nonsense but his partner stops him. The controller tells them to stay out of sight but to keep a close eye on the building. She will send back-up and alert CTU right away. The police officers pull away from the curb and make their way down the street... The men in the apartment watch it leave and tell Raul that the cops appear to have driven off. This seems to calm him somewhat but he is still very anxious, he is assuming Alvaro has been taken down by Jack. Diaz tells him to put the gun away, believing he would never shoot him. Raul knows he is right, but keeps his gun drawn. He asks again for the files....  
  
12:57  
  
Meanwhile, Jack is making his way to Diaz's apartment. As he drives, Russell calls him on his cell. He tells him that the LAPD have located Raul's car, it is outside Diaz's apartment now. Jack thanks him for the intel and asks him to send units. He is told they are already being dispatched, LAPD is holding off until they get there. Before Jack goes, he asks if there is anything new on Alex. Russell explains that Tony has in custody a man who works for one of the mercenaries and it appears he is involved with Dean. However, so far, they haven't been able to interrogate him. Jack wants to be notified as soon as they do and Russell says he will be. Jack hangs up.....  
  
12:58  
  
Inside the apartment building, Diaz is demanding to know more about why the files are needed but Raul is unable to tell him anything as he too is being kept in the dark. Alvaro was supposed to have contacted him by now. Diaz takes this in as Raul's phone rings. He answers to find Gutierrez on the other end, and Diaz listens intently upon hearing the man's name. Gutierrez asks if they have the files, and Raul says they are with Diaz now in an effort to acquire them, but he refuses to hand them over. Gutierrez orders Raul to put him on the phone with him and he complies. Diaz listens as Gutierrez explains that if they want the bombing to take place, they need to give the files over to the mercenaries. Diaz wants to know why it is that they want them, and Gutierrez pauses before finally telling him what they contain. Diaz is visibly taken aback, but he agrees to hand them over. Gutierrez asks to speak to Raul again and the phone is passed back. Raul starts by warning him that he has been unable to contact his brother and that last time they saw him he was with Jack Bauer. Gutierrez is all too aware of what this could mean and demands to know how Jack ended up with them in the first place. Raul explains about Bauer's call and the arranged meeting that they had. Gutierrez is angry that Bauer wasn't killed straight after his call but Raul tells him that Alvaro wanted to question him first. The man had always wanted to make it on his own, never wanting to be trapped in his brother's shadow. He must have been trying to prove he could handle things on his own. Gutierrez is obviously upset and orders Raul to find out what happened to his brother, and to ensure that this is not a false alarm. Raul agrees. Gutierrez then tells him that the meet is going down in an hour and to listen very carefully to his instructions......  
  
12:59  
  
Alex is attempting to use the edge of the now torn open can to cut the plasticuffs that are restraining him. His hands are bloody as he has already cut himself on the sharp metal but he continues regardless. It looks like it's working.... The guard outside makes his way into the cubicle next to Alex's and starts to take another leak. He shouts through the wall, alerting Alex: "How ya doin' in there?" The man laughs quietly to himself and finishes his piss, taking a cigarette and lighter from his pocket. He goes to light up as he steps out of the cubicle. The moment he does however, Alex lunges at him and jams the jagged edge of the can into his neck, now free. He covers the guard's mouth as they both collapse to the ground, using the can to slit the man's throat. Blood spurts everywhere as he struggles to call for help. Alex maintains his grip as the guard bleeds to death in his arms.....  
  
12:59:57 12:59:58 12:59:59 1:00:00....  
  
END. 


End file.
